Is there a difference between digital drama and bullying?

The thing that's important for parents to understand about cyber-bullying is that it's not always just one bully and one target, it's often a sort of ecosystem of kids who get involved in maybe Facebook posting or other kinds of online feeding frenzies where a lot of people are sort of taking advantage of another person, so it's not always just one bully and one victim and I think that's really important for parents to understand so they can help their kid learn to stand up for the victim. Studies are showing that one of the most effective ways to eradicate cyber-bullying is to help peers stand up for peers, that's very effective, instead of a teacher stepping in or a parent stepping in, although, of course, it's very important for kids to talk to a parent or a teacher about what's going on, but if a kid stands up for another kid, then the other kid who's been cyber-bullying tend to listen.

Caroline Knorr

Parenting Editor, Common Sense Media

As Common Sense Media's parenting editor, Caroline helps parents make sense of what’s going on in their kids' media lives. From games to cell phones to movies and more, if you're wondering "what’s the right age for…?", Caroline can help you make the decision that works best for your family. She has more than 20 years of editorial and creative marketing writing experience and has held senior-level positions at Walmart.com, Walmart stores, Cnet, and Bay Area Parent magazine. She specializes in translating complex information into bite-sized chunks to help families make informed choices about what their kids watch, play, read, and do. And she's the proud mom of a teenage son whose media passions include Star Wars, StarCraft, graphic novels, and the radio program This American Life.

The thing that's important for parents to understand about cyber-bullying is that it's not always just one bully and one target, it's often a sort of ecosystem of kids who get involved in maybe Facebook posting or other kinds of online feeding frenzies where a lot of people are sort of taking advantage of another person, so it's not always just one bully and one victim and I think that's really important for parents to understand so they can help their kid learn to stand up for the victim. Studies are showing that one of the most effective ways to eradicate cyber-bullying is to help peers stand up for peers, that's very effective, instead of a teacher stepping in or a parent stepping in, although, of course, it's very important for kids to talk to a parent or a teacher about what's going on, but if a kid stands up for another kid, then the other kid who's been cyber-bullying tend to listen.